Liquid-fuel burner.



L. GARDNER.

LIQUID FUEL BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.19:7.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

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LIQUID FUEL BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. I917.

Patented Mar. 11,1919. 7

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WELL, ALL 01? CONCORD, LEE GARDNER, DECEAsED.

' LIQUID-FUEL BURNER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE GARDNER, a citizen of the'United States,residing at Concord, in the county of Cabarrus and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLiquid-Fuel Burners, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to liquid fuel burners, and more particularly toburners of the general type shown in my prior application, Serial No.68,558, filed December 24, 1915. In this type of burner, meansare-provided for simultaneously vaporizing water and liquid hydrocarbonand causing the vapors to mingle as they pass into a combustion chamber.

' In the present invention are embodied certain novel features ofconstruction not covered by the above mentioned application, which novelfeatures result in increased efficiency in operation and control. Amongthese novel features may be mentioned the provision of a tially orwholly submerged in water, and in improved means for supplying air tothe burning fuel and for determining the character of the flame.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through my improved burnercomplete, showing means for supplying water and oil thereto;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the burner, similar to Fig. 1, butshowing the water level at a different height; I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the burner with the cover and chimney removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the float controlled valve, parts beingshown in section;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an improved baffle plate or flame controllingdevlce which I may employ;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the lower part of thechimney shown in F i 1 F 6 is afragmentaryside elevation of the controlring or damper which surrounds the lower part of the chimney; and,

' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view,

Specification of Letters Patent.

gas generating chamber par Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

7 Application filed June 6, 1917. Serial No. 173,187.

similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction of burner.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1 illustrates a convenientarrangement of oil reservoir 1, mounted inside of a water reservoir orcontainer 2, supported on suitable legs 3. From the side of the waterreservoir 2 extends a discharge pipe 4, having a downwardly turned end.The flow of water through the pipe 4 may be controlled by means of astop cock or valve 5, preferably ((iari'y7ing a pointer 6, movable overa scale or The flow of water from the end of pipe 4 is controlled bymeans of a valve member 8, pivoted at 8' to a waterbox 10 and actuatedby means of a. float 9, located in such box. IVhen the water in the box10 has reached a predetermined level, the valve member 8 is pressedagainst the end of the pipe 4 and thus shuts off the supply of water.

The waterbox 10 is connected by means of a short pipe 11 with arelatively large water pan 12, preferably circular in plan, as shown inFig. 2. This water pan has a flat bottom and an upstanding wall 24, thepan being supported on suitable legs 13.

A supply pipe 1 1 extends from the bottom of the oil tank 1 and iscon-trolled by means of a stop cook or valve 15, preferably carrying apointer 16, movable over a scale or dial '17, suitably graduated toindicate the amount of oil being supplied. The end of pipe 14 isconnected by means of a coupling 18 with a pipe 19, which extendsthrough the waterbox 10 and through the wall 24 of the water pan 12 andconnects at its inner end with the burner proper. This burner consistsof inner and outer nested pans or cups 20 and 21, respectively,concentrically mounted and spaced apart to form between them an annularoil trough 22. The bottoms of the cups 20 and 21 are also spaced apart adistance approximately equal to the width of the trough 22, so that thefuel oil is spread out in a thin sheet between. the bottoms of the cups.This space between the bottoms of the cups also constitutes a gasgenerating chamber, as will be hereinafter described. The bottoms of thecups are preferably conical in shape, as shown in Fig. 1, the apex orhighest points of the cones being in the center, as

indicated at 23. A short tube or nipple 23* passes through the cupbottoms at their lowest point and serves to establish communicationbetween the inside of the cup 20 and the pan 12, so that water willstand at the same level in the cup and in the pan. As shown in Fig. 1,this water level may be so high as to come above the apex 23 of thecones, and in this case, the generating chamber formed between the cupbottoms is entirely surrounded by water on all sides. Under certaincircumstances, however, it may be desin able to lower the water level tosome such extent. as indicated in Fig. l, in which case the generatingchamber formed between the cup bottoms is only partly immersed in waterand projects partly above the same.

The wall 2% of the water pan 12 is provided, at a point well above thewater level, with an annular series of openings or win (lows Theseopenings are preferably formed by cutting the material on three sidesand then bending it to form win s or vanes 26. As shown in 2, thesevanes 26 project inwardly at an acute angle to the radius of thecircular pan. A band 27 of sheet metal or the like surrounds the wall2-l of the water pan and is provided with a series of ports or windows29, similar in size and spacing to the ports The openings 29 arelikewise formed by cutting the metal on three sides and bending itoutwardly to form wings orvanes 28. Each of these wings extendssubstantially parallel with an adjacent wing 26. so that when thewindows 25 and 29 are brought into registry the opening thus formed isflanked on both the inside and outside by the parallel wings 26 and 28.Air currents entering the opening between these wings are directed in asubstantially tangential direction and therefore have a. decidedwhirling tendency. A handle 30 is secured to the ring 27 by means ofwhich the ring may be circularly adjusted on the water pan, so as tobring the openings 25 and 29 more or less into registry. As shown inFig. these ports are fully open, and it will be obvious that by shiftingthe ring slightly they may be wholly or partially closed. iln this way,the amount 'of air entering the combustion chamber formed within the pancan be regulated, as desired.

On the upper edge of the water pan rests av top or cover plate 31,which, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, is of inverted conical shape, and isprovided at. its lowermost point with a central opening 32 of relativelysmall diameter compared with that of the cups 20 and 21. Resting uponthe top of this cover plate is a chimney 33, the function of which is togenerate the necessary draft. The lower part of this chimney is providedwith an annular series of windows or openings 3%, which are of more orless rhombic shape. That is to say, the side edges are inclined to thehorizontal at an angle, preferably 45. These openings are formed in a.manner similar to the openings in the water pan, by cutting the materialon three sides and bending it in to form tongues or wings A ring ordamper. 36 surrounds the chimney :33, adjacent the openings 3%, and isitself provided with a series of openings 38, formed in a manner similarto the openings in the ring 27 by cutting out the material on threesides and bending it out to form tongues or wings 37. The tongues orwings and 37 extend substantially parallel with each other and areinclined, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The ring 36 is circularlyadjustable on the chimney 33, so that the ports or openings 3-1 and 38may be brought more or less into registry to control the admission ofair to the chimney, as will be obvious. 1t will, of course, beunderstood that the wings 35 and 37 are set in the same direction aswings 26 and 28, so as to increase the whirling tendency of the risingcolumn of gas and flame.

in order to still further augment this whirling action and also toproduce a more intimate mixture of the gas and air, it may employ thenovel baffle plate shown in Fig. 1. This consists of a. disk 39,preferably .2 iorined or sheet metal, which is cut on a plurality ofcurved radial lines to form tongues %0, one edge of each of which isbent up so as to provide a central opening 41, with radiating 'arpedslots, through which the flame passes. This baffle plate is supported,as by means of suitable legs 42, immediately above the opening and at a.point substantially on a level with the windows 34 in the chimney.

T he operation of my improved burner is as follows: The pan 12, havingbeen filled with water to the proper level, as shown, the

-valve 15 is opened to admit oil to the trough 22 and space between thecup bottoms. This oil is then ignited and the cover 31 and associatedparts placed in position. If a light hydrocarbon, such as gasolene, isemployed, it can, of course, be readily ignited, but if a heavier liquidsuch as kerosene or crude oil be used, then it becomes necessary toprime the burner by means of a few drops of gasolene, or the like, inorder to warm it up to the vaporizing point of the heavier liquid. Itwill be observed that the upper edge of the cup 20 projects slightlyabove the edge of the cup 21, so that there is a tendency for the oil inthe trough22 to overflow at starting into the water pan 12, where itfloats on the surface of the water. After the oil is ignited, the heatedair currents pass upwardly through the opening 32 and chimney 33, whilefresh air enters through the ports 25. The passage of the air currentsthrough the ports 25 at the outer edge of the water pan to and throughthe central opening 32, causes the flame to curl downwardly over theedge of the cup 20 and impinge upon or dip into the water in such cup sothat this water is soon heated to the boiling point. This downwardlycurling action is accentuated by reason of the relatively high upperedge of the inner cup, as the incoming air currents strike the flamedirectly at such edge, and cause it to dip over the same. After theburner has been in o eration for a few minutes, the oil in the water panon the outside of the cup 21 ignites, and this water also is heated tothe boiling point. The oil in the space between the cup bottoms and intherefore subjected on all sides to the heat of boiling water, andvaporization of the fuel oil takes place in the space between the cups,such space being only partially filled with liqui The water in the panappears to become covered with oil, either as a result of the initialoverflow from the fuel trough, or as a result of the condensation of oilvapors, or both. The entire water pan then becomes filled with flame,which rises from the surface of the water both inside and out side ofthe fuel trough. Both oil and water are rapidly and simultaneouslyvaporized, by the heat, and the mingled vapors rise and unite in thecombustion chamber formed in the water pan between the water level andthe cover.- As the flame passes up into the chimney, additional air issupplied through the ports 34, and an intense heat is produced. Byproperly adjusting the damper rings or hands 27 and 36, it is possibleto regulate and control the character of the flame, as desired.

By adjusting the valves 5 and 15, the relative proportion of oil andwater may be determined, and this is facilitated by means of the scales7 and 17. Under certain conditions, I have found used to three parts ofwater.

If the water level is maintained below the apex 23 of the conical cupbottoms, as shown in Fig. l the oil in the upper part of the conicalsheet, where it projects above the water, is subjected directly to theheat of the'fiame which curls down into the cup 20. Vapor is thusrapidly generated.

Instead of the conical bottoms shown in Fig. 1, I may employ cups 20 and21, having flat bottoms 23, as shown in Fig. 7.

What I claim is:

1. A liquid fuel burner comprisinga pair of nested cups having theirsides and bottoms spaced apart .to provide a fuel chamer, a water pan inwhich said cups are immersed, and a tube or nipple passing through thecup bottoms, whereby water is admitted to the inside of the inner cup.

2. A liquid fuel burner comprising a pair of nested cups having verticalside walls and conical bottoms, said walls and bottoms bethe trough '22is that one part of oil is ing spaced apart to provide a fuel chamber,andmeans for causing the flame to impinge upon the conical bottom 'ofthe inner cup, so as to vaporize the fuel in such chamber.

3. A liquid fuel burner comprising a pair of nested cups having theirsides and bottoms spaced apart to provide a fuel chamber, a water pan inwhich said cups are seated, and means for supplying fuel oil to thechamber between the cups, the edge of the outer cup being slightlylower-than that of the inner, whereby the oil tends to overflow into thewater pan.

4. A liquid fuel burner comprising awater pan, an annular fuel troughcentrally disposed in said pan, and an inverted conical cover plate forsaid pan, said plate having a central opening of a diameter less thanthat of the fuel trough and located over the same.

5. A liquid fuel burner comprising a water pan, an annular 'fuel troughcentrally 'dISPOSBd in said pan, a cover platepf inverted conical formsupported on said pan and having a central opening at its lowermostpoint, such opening being smaller than the fuel trough, and locatedabove the same, means for admitting air around the sides of the pan, anda chimney mounted on said plate around said opening for creating a drafttherethrough.

6. A liquid fuel burner comprising a Water pan, an independent annularfuel trough 7 centrally mounted therein and spaced from the wallsthereof, said pan being provided with air ports in its walls andconstituting a combustion chamber, a cover plate resting upon the edgeof the pan and having a central opening, and means for causing the flamegenerated in said chamber to pass inwardly from said trough and upwardlythrough said opening.

7. A liquid fuel burner comprising a cir- I cular water pan, arelatively small annular fuel trough centrally located therein, a coverplate for said pan, having a central opening disposed above said fueltrough, and means for creating a draft up through said opening, the sidewalls of said pan, above the water level, having a series of air inletports, and means for giving a substantially tangential direction to theair currents entering such ports.

8. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel trough, a cylindrical drum or casingassociated therewith, and means for controlling and directing the supplyof air to the flame within said cylindrical casing, such meanscomprising a circularly movable band snugly fitting said-casing andhaving a series of openings, a set of angularly disposed wings extendingoutwardly from said openings, the'cylindrical casing also having asimilar series of openings with which the openings in the band areadapted to register, and a set of angularl y disposed Wings extendinginwardly from the openings in the casing, corresponding Wi1igs of eachset adjacent each pair of registered openings being substantiallyparallel, and serving as guides to give to the air currents enteringbetween them a substantially tangential direction.

9. in a liquid fuel burner, the combination with a Water pan having; aseries or" air inlet ports in its Wall a fuel trough located centrallyin said pan, a cover plate for said pan having a central opening, achimney mounted on said plate around said opening, said chimney ha vingnear its bottom a. series or air inlet ports, and means for causing theair current entering the ports in both the Water pan and chimney to takea substantially tangential course in the same direction.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

